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Title: Will the Marine Corps Baby Killers Involved in Haditha Incident and the Chain of Command Walk for the Crimes and Coverup?
Source: Peter N. Kirstein
URL Source: http://english.sxu.edu/sites/kirstein/?p=360
Published: May 31, 2006
Author: Peter N. Kirstein
Post Date: 2006-05-31 00:39:28 by Morgana le Fay
Keywords: None
Views: 1968
Comments: 12

I don't know but the N.C.I.S. investigating the marines is perhaps woefully lacking independence. After the mass murder of babies, children and senior citizens in Haditha, there was apparently an investigation and $2500 cash payments were paid to some of the families of the murdered civilians. I doubt if sergeants and lance corporals are walking around with that much cash.

The marines lied about the circumstances shortly after the slaughter and it was not until Time magazine in March 2006 investigated and got access to a video, did the military have second thoughts about the events there. At My Lai in Vietnam in 1968, there was mass slaughter and army Second Lt William Laws Calley, convicted of murder in a military court-martial for his role at My Lai, merely got a short detention of comfy house arrest (40 months) and was pardoned by President Nixon on November 9, 1974.

I am not content with merely punishing teenagers or others who did the killings. They must not be scapegoats and those culpable within the chain of command leading to perhaps senior officers in CENTCOM should be prosecuted as well.

This is what happens during war and the U.S. military is unfortunately no different from other armed services, or perhaps they are worse. They are taught to kill, they are killers, they carry weapons, they shoot and kill people. I agree we should not demonize military personnel for the acts of a few. I also believe that in this country we should stop glorifying war and the warriors and see it at BEST as a necessary evil.

Our nation is so violent and so accepting of war–even if increasingly displeased with the war's progress–that it is almost impossible to hold accountable criminal acts of the officer corps and the higher ups in the chain of command.

I am struck that neither Gen. Peter Pace or any other senior military officer has shown any emotion concerning the butchery of twenty-four Iraqi citizens who were gunned down. Not even the babies have evoked public sentiment from one military official. Where is the sadness and remorse even among those who wish to have no punishment meted out to these marine marauders.

This is General Pace, who is chairperson of the Chiefs, (J.C.S.). Since he is a marine, and the first one to serve as chair, I question his objectivity with regard to the Haditha murders and probably other crimes by marines in American-occupied Iraq. Since this individual has NO command and not one soldier that he can directly order into combat, he probably did not know about Haditha and may not have participated in the coverup. Yet he seems to lack any empathy about the victims in Haditha and I doubt if he will exhibit any outrage at either the killings or the coverup by the marines or other military units. This is what war does to America. It breeds slick, photogenic, articulate military bureuacrats who simply lack that ethical compass or personal commitment to resolving issues short of war and violence.

I am appreciative that a major media website http://Cursor.org, in the Twin Cities in the HOME STATE of Bob Dylan, linked this under May 30, 2006 "Haditha." Thanks. It gives me energy to fight the fight against violence and the unwarranted projection of American military power.

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#1. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)

by prosecuting these soldiers the US shows the world how humane and decent the US is. but in reality these were only 24 dead Iraqis whereas the decision to wage the war has killed 10,000 times that many Iraqis, and as the war itself is unjust we can say that all of these killings are unjust. the leaders who sent these soldiers into this war are the guilty ones. In every war there are soldiers who do horrible things. that is a given. I'm not saying they shouldn't be prosecuted.

Red Jones  posted on  2006-05-31   0:55:45 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#2. To: Red Jones (#1)

It took 7 years in Veit Nam for the fragging to begin...we'll run out of money (loans) by early next year. This is a no win situation...so, civil unrest...

“Yes, but is this good for Jews?"

Eoghan  posted on  2006-05-31   1:03:39 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#3. To: Red Jones (#1)

I'm not saying they shouldn't be prosecuted.

The commanders who put these soliders in to an unnecsary global conflict, for self aggrandizment, and their suck butt politicians need to be destroyed, so we may not make this mistake of hubris so easily again in the future

tom007  posted on  2006-05-31   1:53:55 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#4. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)

Will the Marine Corps Baby Killers Involved in Haditha Incident and the Chain of Command Walk for the Crimes and Coverup?

Congratulation....

Now you are at the same anti-humanity level as the master zionists.....

and by design........

dubya is back worshiping the cabbalists.....

Max  posted on  2006-05-31   2:06:25 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#5. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)

If history is any guide then all of them will walk with one or two getting token sentences for a few years- perhaps just doing litter pick up on a military base.

Burkeman1  posted on  2006-05-31   6:26:26 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#6. To: Morgana le Fay (#0)

Second Lt William Laws Calley, convicted of murder in a military court-martial for his role at My Lai, merely got a short detention of comfy house arrest (40 months) and was pardoned by President Nixon on November 9, 1974.

Tricky Dick was even trickier than I thought. According to this, he was still able to pardon someone two months after he resigned from the Presidency.

Sam Houston  posted on  2006-05-31   8:13:31 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#7. To: Sam Houston (#6)

Tricky Dick was even trickier than I thought. According to this, he was still able to pardon someone two months after he resigned from the Presidency.

LOL!


I've already said too much.

MUDDOG  posted on  2006-05-31   8:20:53 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#8. To: Red Jones (#1)

the leaders who sent these soldiers into this war are the guilty ones.

I think those who volunteer to defend corporate America are equally to blame.

Jethro Tull  posted on  2006-05-31   8:21:16 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#9. To: Morgana le Fay, ALL (#0)

Peter, the author of this piece links back to us on his blog here:

http://english.sxu.edu/sites/kirstein/?p=378

christine  posted on  2006-06-07   18:09:10 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#10. To: christine (#9)

"I do not endorse all of the language or necessarily the comments but I do endorse freedom of expression and even controversial speech."

LOL, and I didn't even post to that thread.

Quit bogarting that peace, Herbert!

Dakmar  posted on  2006-06-07   18:36:34 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#11. To: Dakmar (#10)

i know..i'm emailing with him and i told him that amused me. he's a professor at a Catholic University so he had to put that disclaimer. :P

christine  posted on  2006-06-07   18:40:33 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


#12. To: christine (#11)

Not to bash Catholics, but the irony is killing me.

Seriously though, I understand why he felt the disclaimer necessary.

Quit bogarting that peace, Herbert!

Dakmar  posted on  2006-06-07   18:46:11 ET  Reply   Trace   Private Reply  


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